A quest is a task given to a player character that yields a reward when completed. Most quests are given by an NPC (non-player character). However, some quests can come from right-clicking signs (usually the wanted poster type), reading scrolls or documents, opening containers, using certain looted items (which will say "Begins a quest" on the tooltip when moused over), or from completing a previous quest (chain quest). Until you reach the maximum level, a quest will also reward you with Experience Points (XP). After that, you will receive gold instead. Most quests will also reward you with reputation from the same faction as the NPC quest giver.

The Quests category has articles on many specific quests. This list may not be as comprehensive as database sites like Vanilla WoW databases, but the wiki quest articles have the advantage of being a summary of information on a quest, as opposed to a long list of sometimes conflicting or old comments added to the raw quest data.

There are currently more than 1,000 quests in World of Warcraft. The initial design had only 100 horde quests, 100 alliance quests and 100 neutral quests planned for the whole game.[1]

Contents

Starting out

Depending on your race you will start in a different geographical region with some common quests and some race/class-specific quests with several low-level creatures around and a limited number of NPCs. Many of the quests in World of Warcraft are single-step, but there will often be multiple followup quests that turn into a long quest series.

Many NPCs can offer you more than one quest; when talking to them, you'll get a window giving you the option to select which quest you wish to talk to them about, using the same symbols as appear over their heads. To find out the quest or the status of an uncompleted quest, talk to the NPC with a quest status indicator. Occasionally as you adventure in Azeroth, you may encounter dropped or fixed items that will give out quests when activated (right-clicked).

Try to get and finish all the quests in a given geographic locale before moving on to a higher-level area with new quests. The reason for this is that other quests may send you in different directions and into other map areas. By the time you get back to the original quest track, the quests have gone gray. They can still be accomplished, but any items received will be below your current level, the XP will be much less helpful, and the cash, if any, will be small change compared to the amounts you are currently bringing in from looting and selling vendor trash items. However, if it is a member of a long quest chain, it may be worth completing gray quests, because later ones may be for your level or even for above your level.

Identifying quest givers

A silver exclamation point indicates a quest that will be available when you gain a few levels. This is not on the minimap.

A gold question mark () indicates a completed quest (you have met its requirements).They appear as a yellow dot () on the minimap.

A silver question mark indicates an in-progress (un-completed) quest that you still have requirements to meet.

If you have completed a quest but you might not want to turn it in yet (because your bags are full, for instance), you can return to it later at any time. However, until you turn it in, the quest ender will comtinue to display a gold question mark (), so you will not know if they have a new quest for you until you turn it the completed quest or speak to them as if to turn it in.

Low level quests

If a quest is considered too low level for your character (if it will have a gray color in your log), it will be much less visible. By default, an exclamation point () will not appear above the quest giver's head, nor will one appear on the minimap without an extra step (see below).

A low-level quest can be discovered only by mousing over (or interacting with) its quest giver.

Quest types

In World of Warcraft, quests are separated into several broad categories:

Solo quests — the most common kind

Group quests — suggested for more than 1 player

Dungeon quests — objective of the quest is inside an instance

Raid quests — objective of the quest is inside a raid instance or involves a raid boss

PvP quests — quests that require you to complete them while flagged for PvP

Repeatable quests — can be soloable or for groups with the primary intention to boost reputation with a faction

Seasonal quests — available only for limited periods of time and often related to events or holidays

Solo quests

Most quests are intended to be completed by a single player, but depending on the quest, different classes may have differing levels of difficulty completing quests.

Group quests

In the quest text a group quest will have a recommended number of players to complete this type of quest. These number estimates are conservative and some 2 player quests can be easily soloed while others may be slightly difficult with given number of players. Many quests recommending 3-4 players can be done with 2 players.

Previously called an "elite" quest.

Dungeon quests

Requires an objective inside an instance. Other than that they can be similar to solo and group quests.

Raid quests

Requires an objective inside a raid instance or involving an outdoor raid boss. Besides the Heroic quests, these are the hardest types of quests to complete for players of the recommended level range.

PvP quests

These quests require players complete them while flagged for PvP and usually in a PvP battleground or zone. These quests can also be a variant of a daily quest which may be tied to a specific battleground or can be very tedious and often are ignored by PvP oriented players.

Quest variations

Most standard quest tasks take one of the following forms with a variety of quest objectives:

Gather a number of items and return them to the quest giver or some other NPC.

Kill a number of creatures and return to the quest giver or another NPC.

Deliver an item (usually a letter or a package) or some items from the quest giver to another NPC.

Kill a number of creatures, loot a single quest item or several quest items from them, and return with the quest item(s) to the quest giver or another NPC.

Use a profession to acquire or make a single or several items and return with the item(s) to the quest giver or another NPC.

Escort an NPC from one place to another, usually through a dangerous area.

Many quests that involve escorting an NPC through an area full of mobs can be quite difficult to do alone. "The Defias Traitor" quest in Westfall is one such example, as is the Forsaken quest in Silverpine Forest "Escorting Erland." The NPCs of those quests are suicidal hotshots who engage each enemy within a 10-yard radius despite your directive to keep them alive, leaving you to save them from themselves as well as all the other mobs attempting to eat both of you. In addition, many escort quests have scripted events where a number of enemies will spawn right in front of you, forcing you to fight them at once. Failing these quests occurs commonly, but you can easily abandon it and start over. Or, in some cases, if you find yourself overwhelmed during quests like these, abandon the quest and run away as far as you can, and try it again when you are at a higher level or have some backup coming with you. "The Defias Traitor" is notorious as a favored target for Horde attacks, which simply extends the duration of the quest (and, in some cases, necessitates a complete restart of the quest).

Some players find Escort quests extremely annoying due to the fact that the NPC almost always walks, regardless of the reason for the escort (even when you are escorting an NPC during an escape, they only run if they are moving to attack something).

When soloing escort quests, a useful tactic is to stay slightly ahead of the NPC, so that you can tank with any enemies that attempt to ambush your escort. This tactic is much more effective if the escort quest is at a much lower level than your character.

Find and speak to an NPC, which usually leads to a subsequent quest. When such quests are designed to have the sole purpose of leading a player from one zone to another, they are known as Bread Crumb Quests[2]

The completion of quests will also impact your reputation with particular factions, which can have further beneficial effects such as cheaper prices at vendors and access to special vendors such as mounts.

Some reward items may not be usable by your character (based on class usually).

Managing a quest log

Currently active quests are listed with their status and details in the Quest Log (L key). Quests can also be shared with other party members. A player can be in the process of completing (or completed but not turned in) up to 25 quests at any one time. A warning will sound and a small message appears if you try to accept a quest when you already have 25 quests.

Sharing quests

To share a quest, open the Quest Log, select a quest and click Share Quest at the bottom of the window. Each member of the party who is in the vicinity will be prompted whether they want to join the quest. Once you've tried to share a quest, the following things may happen:

If the party member is eligible for a quest, a yellow system message will appear stating you are sharing the quest with the character. The receiving character will get a quest window as if they were receiving a quest from an NPC.

If the party member accepts the quest, a yellow system message will appear stating the character accepted the quest.

If the party member is not eligible to begin a quest, a yellow system message will appear stating the character is not eligible. This can happen if the party member is, for example, of the wrong class (if the quest is class-specific) or is of insufficient level. It can also happen if the character has not completed the quest's prerequisite quest(s), if any, or does not have the special item that starts the quest.

If the party member already has the quest, has already completed the quest, or has a full quest log, a yellow system message will appear stating this.

Some quests will not be sharable, since they apply only to the player who accepted the quest. If the option to accept the quest is not given to a party member, they will not receive credit for having helped complete it. If accepting the quest gives an item which is required to do the quest, the quest is usually not shareable.

Abandoning quests

Quests can be abandoned with no penalty by clicking Abandon Quest in the Quest Log, except that the player must find the quest giver again to pickup the quest again. The Cancel button in the Quest Log just closes the window and does not affect any selected quests. There will be a warning that the special quest items already obtained (if there are any) will be destroyed when the quest abandoned. This does not include normal, non-quest items needed for some quests.

"Kill X of Y" quests

Any quests that require you to kill "X" amount of something will have you restart at 0 killed if/when you pick up the quest again. This will affect all kill counters for any single quest, regardless of the number of different items needed to kill.

"Collect X of Y" quests

If the items you are collecting are marked as Quest item you will lose those items when you abandon the related quest. Items, such as trade goods, which are not quest items will not be lost.
Quests that have you collect "X" amount of something though will be updated to show the current amount you have collected (on person or in bank) if/when you pick up the quest again.

The quests that are most easily abandoned are the ones that come from drops that you have found. This way you can just reactivate the item and get the quest right back. Also, other good quests to drop (in case you need to) are the ones you get from NPCs in the area of your Hearthstone-bound inn. This way you don't have to travel far to re-obtain them. It could be inconvenient, however, if you suddenly decide to do a quest that you get from there, yet you have to travel quite some distance to arrive at where you complete the quest. It can be very difficult to juggle quests. It would be helpful to write down what quests you've seen, where to get them, and where they're completed, and where you turn them in, so you can do several quests at once in one area.

References

See also

Long, exceptional, or hidden questlines - A listing of quests that have many steps, are generally regarded as exceptional by those that do them, are particularly memorable, or are difficult enough to find that very few people come across them during regular play.